Gianluca Polgar

(except few basic infos, this webpage contains records of the last 3 years - click here for older records)

• Professional qualifications

• Other qualifications

• Grants, professional assignments, scholarships

• Address

• Present affiliation

• Research interests

• Membership of professional bodies

• Attended courses

• Research activity, collaborations and field surveys

• Peer review publications

• Invited book chapters

• Online articles, blogs

• Interviews and media coverage

• Contributed workshops, symposia, seminars, lectures

• Teaching

• Supervised students, theses

Professional qualifications:

• 2009
  Ph.D. in Ecological Sciences, Univ. of Rome "La Sapienza".
  Thesis title: "Mudskippers (Gobiidae: Oxudercinae): ecology and evolution along the water's edge, and possible use as a biomonitor of tropical intertidal areas"; tutor: Prof. G. Ardizzone, Dep. of Human and Animal Biology, Inst. of Zoology).
  
  

• 2004
  Laurea degree in Natural Sciences, Univ. of Rome "La Sapienza".
  Thesis title (ecology): "Adaptations to the intertidal environment of some Malaysian species of genera Periophthalmus, Periophthalmodon and Boleophthalmus (Pisces, Gobiidae, Oxudercinae, Periophthalmini): ecological researches and design of a rearing device for observation under semi-natural conditions" (summa cum laude; supervisor: Prof. L. Bullini, Dep. of Genetics and Molecular Biology "Charles Darwin").
  Second thesis (attuopaleontology): "Taxonomic analysis and facies of the foraminifers' associations of the western Peninsular Malaysia" (supervisor: Prof. J. Pignatti, Dep. of Earth Sciences)




• 1988
  Certificate of Proficiency in English, Univ. of Cambridge
  
  

Other qualifications:

• 2008-2010
  Introductory courses in the Japanese language (Nyumon I-III), at the Japanese Institute of Culture in Rome, Italy.
  
  

• 2008 (25th February)
  PADI Open Water Diver certification, Diver No. 0803A26105; Instr. No. OWSI-30314.

Grants, professional assignments, scholarships:

• 2010-2011
  University Malaya FRGS Grant (FP-088-2010A; P.I.: Dr. A. Sasekumar), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - participants: Prof. Chong V.C., Prof. Norma Yusof, Dr. A. Sasekumar, Dr. G. Polgar, Ms. L. Ribero [Benthic food webs in Malaysian mangrove forests]
  
  

• 2009 (19th January - 13th February)
  Contract for molecular researches on oxudercines' molecular systematics and phylogeny, stipulated with the Natural History Museum, London, England - labs of Dr. L. Rüber, NHM Zoological Research Fund [Evolution of amphibious lifestyles in mudskippers (Oxudercinae): a molecular perspective]
  
  

Address:

Dr. Gianluca Polgar
Via G. Andreoli, 2
00195 Rome (RM), Italy
HP: 3488851198
E-mail: gianluca.polgar[at]mudskipper.it (replace [at] with @ before writing - antispam trick)

Present affiliation :

Gianluca Polgar Ph.D.
Senior lecturer in Ichthyology
Institute of Biological Sciences
Faculty of Science, University of Malaya
50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
e-mail: gianluca.polgar[at]um.edu.my (replace [at] with @ before writing – antispam trick)
Institutional webpage: http://umexpert.um.edu.my/DR. GIANLUCA POLGAR

Research interests:

Evolutionary ecology of tropical intertidal ecosystems (tidal mud flats and mangrove ecosystems); Devonian sea-land transition in vertebrates; morphological and molecular systematics of gobiids (Teleostei: Perciformes: Gobiidae); popularization of science

Membership of professional bodies:

ASIH - American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists; BES - British Ecological Society; IGS - The International Goby Society; ISEB - Italian Society of Evolutionary Biologists; SFI - Société Française d'Ichtyologie; SICB - Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology

Attended courses:

• 2009 (31st August - 3rd September)
  Italian workshop on phylogenetic methods and applications, Asti Studi Superiori University campus, Asti. Held by: Dr. Francesco Santini, University of California, Los Angeles; Dr. Brian R. Moore, University of Berkeley; Prof. Francesco Frati, University of Pisa; Dr. Michael Alfaro, University of California, Los Angeles; Dr. John P. Huelsenbeck, University of Berkeley; and Johannes Mueller, Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin
  
  
  

Research activity and field surveys:

• 2011 (22-28 August)
  Study of the gobiid oxudercine and amblyopine collection of the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research (National University of Singapore, Singapore; host: Dr. Jaafar Z. and Dr. Lim K.P.K.)

  
  

• 2010 (June - present)
  Research on the mangrove and mudflat food webs of western Peninsular Malaysia (University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia), with special reference to the trophic ecology and parasitology of oxudercine gobies (labs of Prof. Chong V.C. and Prof. Lim S.)

  
  

• 2009 (January, June), 2008 (November, December)
  Collaborations and laboratory sessions in the University of Ca' Foscari Venice, Italy, to study the behaviour of oxudercine gobies (labs of Prof. P. Torricelli, Dr. S. Malavasi)

  
  

• 2009 (19th January - 14th February), 2006 (23rd February - 19th March)
  Laboratory research as a visitor of the Natural History Museum, London, in collaboration with Dr. L. Rüber, to learn and apply molecular techniques (mtDNA) to the study of the phylogeny of oxudercine gobies.

  
  

Peer reviewed publications:

• Polgar G., Malavasi S., Cipolato G., Georgalas V., Clack J.A. and Torricelli P. (2011) Acoustic communication at the water's edge: Evolutionary insights from a mudskipper - PLosONE, 6(6): e21434. (doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0021434)




• Polgar G., Sacchetti A. and Galli P. (2010) Differentiation and adaptive radiation of amphibious gobies (Gobiidae: Oxudercinae) in semi-terrestrial habitats - Journal of Fish Biology, 77: 1645–1664 (DOI:10.1111/j.1095-8649.2010.02807.x)




• Polgar G. and Bartolino V. (2010) Size variation of six species of oxudercine gobies along the intertidal zone in a Malayan coastal swamp - Marine Ecology and Progress Series, 409: 199-212 (DOI:10.3354/meps08597)




• Polgar G., Burreson E.M., Stefani F. and Kamrani E. (2009) Leeches on mudskippers: host-parasite interaction at the water's edge - Journal of Parasitology, 95(4): 1021-1025 (DOI: 10.1645/GE-1718.1)
  Free online .pdf version: - The original publication is available at journalofparasitology.org




• Polgar G. and Crosa G. (2009) Multivariate characterization of the habitats of seven species of Malayan mudskippers (Gobiidae: Oxudercinae) - Marine Biology, 156(7): 1475-1486 (DOI: 10.1007/s00227-009-1187-0)
  Free online .pdf version: - supplementary materials: - The original publication is available at springerlink.com




• Polgar G. (2009) Species-Area relationship and potential role as a biomonitor of mangrove communities of Malayan mudskippers - Wetlands Ecology and Management, 17(2): 157-164 (DOI: 10.1007/s11273-008-9090-x).
  Free online .pdf version: - The original publication is available at springerlink.com

Please contact me for infos on publications: gianluca.polgar[at]mudskipper.it (replace [at] with @ before writing - antispam trick)

Invited book chapters:

• Polgar G. (in press) Perspectives and possible research lines on the ecology and evolution of mudskippers and oxudercine gobies (Gobiidae: Oxudercinae). In: Sasekumar A. & Chong V.C. (eds) Ecology of Klang Strait (2nd edition). Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur.
  
  

• Ribero L., Polgar G. and Sasekumar A. (in press) The polychaete reefs of Jeram, Selangor. In: Sasekumar A. & Chong V.C. (eds) Ecology of Klang Strait (2nd edition). Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur.
  
  

• Polgar G. and Lim R. (2011) Mudskippers: human use, ecotoxicology and biomonitoring of mangrove and other soft bottom intertidal ecosystems. pp. 51-86. In: Metras J.N. (ed) Mangroves: Ecology, Biology and Taxonomy. Nova Science Publishers, Hauppauge. ISBN: 978-1-61728-991-0.
  
  

• Polgar G. and Sasekumar A. (2010) The potential of ecotourism and flagship species, and the urgent need for more holistic approaches and higher levels of connectivity for endangered tropical mudflats and coastal swamps. pp. 43-87. In: Krause A. and Weir E. (eds) Ecotourism: management, development and impact. Nova Science Publishers, Hauppauge. ISBN: 978-1-60876-724-3.
  
  
  

Online articles, blogs:

• Polgar G. (2010) Mudskippers: an introduction for aquarists. Coscientious Aquarist Magazine, 7(1), WetWebMedia




• Polgar G. (2007 - 2010) contributions to the wikipedia Italian (saltafango) and English (mudskippers) webpages on oxudercine gobies




• Polgar G. (2010 - present) contributions as a curator for the EOL (Encyclopedia of Life) webpages on oxudercine gobies

Interviews and media coverage:

• 30 August 2011: cited in the article "Un pesce fuor d' acqua corre e lancia suoni" [A fish out of water runs and emits sounds], on Corriere della Sera by Prof. Danilo Mainardi [in Italian]




• 26 July 2011: cited in the interview to Dr. Stefano Malavasi "L'evoluzione raccontata dai suoni di un pesce" [Evolution told by the sounds of a fish], on Oggi Scienza TV by Marta Picciulin [in Italian]




• 14 July 2011: cited in the article "Mudskippers scream at each other - but how they do it is a mystery", on Practical Fishkeeping by Dr. Heok Hee Ng




• 13 July 2011: cited in the article "Gilakaladindi home to the Blue-Spotted Mudskipper", on The Hindu, by G.V. Rao




• 18 March 2010: interview on pescaepesca.org by di Damiano Merlini [in Italian]




• 02 February 2010: cited in the article "Zeylanicobdella arugamensis. Parasite of the day (20/02/2010)" by Dr. S. Perkins, in the Blog of the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH).

Contributed workshops, symposia, seminars, lectures:

• 2011 (24 August)
  Polgar G. "Mudskippers and allies: gaining ground at the water’s edge". Seminar. Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore (guests: Dr. Zeehan Jaafar, Dr. N. Sivasothi)

  
  

• 2011 (19 March)
  Polgar G. "Vanishing ecotones in Malaysia: watershed management and 'Ecotonal Networks' (ENTs)". Invited speaker. Annual General Meeting of the Malaysian Society of Marine Sciences (MSMS). Institute of Graduate Studies, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

  
  

• 2011 (9 March)
  Polgar G. "Vanishing ecotones in Malaysia: the Transect Paradigm ". Key note speaker. A National Dialogue on Malaysian Oceans in a Changing Environment. Faculty of Law, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

  
  

• 2010 (10 December)
  Polgar G. "Mudskippers and allies: gaining ground at the water’s edge". Invited speech, Institute of Ocean and Earth Science, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

  
  

• 2010 (22-25th November)
  Polgar G. "The Transect Paradigm. Towards a holistic integration of economic and ecological issues of coastal wetlands and adjacent systems, within the conceptual framework of ecosystem-based management" WLI-Asia Conference 2010 (Wetland Link International Conference 2010), Paya Indah Wetland reserve, Malaysia

  
  

• 2010 (10th July)
  Malavasi S., Polgar G., Cipolato G., Georgalas V., Clack J., Torricelli P. "Sound production in a mudskipper (Periophthalmodon septemradiatus): implications for the study of evolutionary convergence related to the vertebrate water-Land transition"(poster and presentation). 2010 Joint Meeting of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists. Providence, Rhode Island, US

  
  

• 2009 (12th January)
  "Mudskippers as biomonitors of tropical intertidal mudflats. Habitat distribution and eco-ethology at the water's edge". (invited speech, guest: Prof. P. Torricelli). Univ. Ca' Foscari, Venice, Italy
  
  
  

Teaching:

• 2010 (July-October) Course in ichthyology (SHES2020, 1st semester) at the University Malaya, ISB (Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science), Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
  
  

• 2011 (May-July) Course in ichthyology (SHES2020, special semester) at the University Malaya, ISB (Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science), Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
  
  

Supervised students, theses:

• 2010 (21 October)
  Mr. Giacomo Cipolato: 'Behavioural and bioacoustical investigations of a mudskipper (Gobiidae: Oxudercincae) of South East-Asia'. Dissertation thesis for the Laurea degree (grade: 110/110 cum laude). Supervisor: Dr. S. Malavasi; co-supervisor: Dr. G. Polgar. University of Ca' Foscari, Venice, Italy
  
  

• 2009 (15 December)
  Ms. Francesca Fonzi: 'Molecular identification and habitat differentiation of Indonesian populations (North Sulawesi) of oxudercine gobies'. Dissertation thesis for the Laurea degree (grade: 108/110). Supervisor: Prof. G. Crosa; co-supervisors: Dr. S. Zaccara, Dr. G. Polgar. University of Insubria, Varese, Italy